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Starfleet ranks were first created sometime in the mid 22nd century due to the expansion of the United Earth Starfleet. These early Starfleet ranks had at least three enlisted positions, four officer ranks, and three ranks for use by flag officers.

Starfleet uniforms of this period were mainly worn as single fitting jumpsuits with a colored shoulder trim denoting what field a particular officer or crewman specialized in (command, security/engineering, or science/medical).

By the mid 2250s, Starfleet had changed its uniforms and had adopted a much simpler rank and insignia system. Enlisted personnel wore no rank insignia while the rank of Chief Petty Officer was denoted by a special sleeve stripe. Commissioned officers wore a solid gold stripe. This system would stay in place for at least fifteen years, with only a slight modification in the early 2260s, when those holding the rank of Captain were authorized two gold stripes whereas other officers wore one.

By 2266, Starfleet had again changed its uniforms and, while still using the sleeve stripe system to denote rank, the rank stripes had been modified to show more detail for each particular rank. An exception was that enlisted personnel, chief petty officers included, now had no insignia whatsoever with most enlisted personnel also wearing Starfleet jumpsuits instead of the standard tunic uniforms worn by the officers.

Starfleet flag officers wore a thicker braid insignia than regular officers and the rank of cadet and midshipman were both apparently in use at Starfleet Academy.

The only admiral seen wearing insignia in the Original Series was Admiral Fitzpatrick who, although addressed as "Admiral", wore an insignia which has been equated in numerous technical manuals and fan publications as Vice Admiral. The rank of Fleet admiral was also mentioned to have existed in "Space Seed" but an actual Fleet admiral was not seen on camera until Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

In the mid 2270s, Starfleet changed its uniforms again, although mainly in appearance only. The rank insignia of officers remained relatively the same, with the exception that the rank of Lieutenant junior grade was apparently done away with. Enlisted personnel also adopted a style of their own rank insignia and both officers and admirals could now wear a short sleeve "Class B" uniform which displayed rank insignia on shoulder tabs.

By the year 2278, Starfleet had again changed its uniforms, abandoning the previous sleeve stripe system and adopting a totally new insignia design which incorporated a series of rank pins worn on a shoulder strap with the color of the strap determining the bearer's branch within Starfleet.

The shoulder strap system also matched with a cuff strap which could display various citation and years-of-service pins. Finally, in the case of admirals, another series of cuff straps denoted the particular rank of the Admiral.

Enlisted uniforms were also completely revamped from previous versions and now were worn as jumpsuits with rank pins worn on the lower right sleeve. Enlisted ranks themselves were expanded, encompassing several grades of Petty Officer and Chief Petty Officer.

With the exception of some minor cosmetic changes to officer uniforms, including the introduction of a standard communicator pin around 2344, the uniforms and insignia of the late 23rd century would remain unchanged until approximately the year 2355.

By the year 2355, Starfleet had introduced a new uniform design with the manner of insignia returning to the pip system used by the United Earth Starfleet more than two hundred years earlier. Unlike the predecessor system, however, the 24th century pip system used the ranks lieutenant junior grade and lieutenant commander and also introduced a generic "hollow pip" insignia to denote Chief Petty Officers.

The pip system used introduced in the mid 24th century would remain relatively unchanged and by 2379 was still the standard insignia system used by Starfleet, although the uniforms themselves had undergone a change.

The original officer and enlisted pip system, introduced in the 2350s was as follows:

Close examination of the Next Generation Season 1 and 2 DVDs indicates that in some episodes, officers wore silver pips instead of gold. Most reference manuals, however, state that the gold pips were used all along to denote rank on Starfleet uniforms of this era.

Admiral insignia worn in the vertical fashion

The insignia for flag officers had a slightly different history than those of the regular officer and enlisted corps. In the 2360s, Admirals wore a type of triangular insignia on a special flag officer uniform. By 2366, this insignia had been replaced by a "boxed pip" system worn vertically on the flag uniform collar. The very next year the Admiral insignia changed again, this time worn flat against the collar in the same way as the insignia worn by other grades.
The original flag officer insignia pattern was as follows:

By the mid 2370s, Starfleet had made a further change to its insignia, this change pertaining to enlisted personnel. Replacing the "hollow pip" generic insignia was a new chevron system, worn as pins on the collar of the enlisted personnel's uniform. The chevron system displayed rank for the petty officer and chief petty office grades.

Chief O'Brien's Senior Chief Petty Officer pin was the only badge ever seen on camera, although the Deep Space Nine costume designers had designed a system covering all ranks between Petty Officer 3rd class up to Master Chief Petty Officer.

In an alternate universe, observed during a quantum fissure, Starfleet had adopted an additional form of insignia which was incorporated directly into the design of the Starfleet combadge. The insignia appeared as metal bars behind the Starfleet crest, designed to show the rank of the wearer and accompanied the prime universe's collar pips. This same insignia also appeared in the "prime" universe, when it was used by the alien Barash during a holographic simulation of the USS Enterprise-D designed to trick Commander William T. Riker into thinking he was in the future. Barash's simulation did not include the collar pips. (TNG: "Parallels", "Future Imperfect")

The most senior regular line rank in Starfleet. It was most often held by starship and starbase commanders, as well as adjutants and executives serving beneath admirals. This rank was usually considered a big transition, because it was often the first rank in which officers ran a base of operation (for example, a starship) more or less by themselves. The equivalent ground forces rank to Starfleet captain was colonel. It should also be noted that there are rare cases of officers holding the Captain's rank serving as other than the commanding officer of starship. Examples of this include Spock and Montgomery Scott, who both held the rank of Captain while serving under James T. Kirk, who also held the equal rank of Captain. Departments in rare cases could get a Captain as the superior head of that particular department such as Montgomery Scott being a "Captain of Engineering" during the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Other examples of this also include William T. Riker and Worf, both of whom attained the rank of Captain (in Worf's case, through the Klingon Defense Force) while under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Another example of a Captain holding a position other than commanding a starship is that of Phillipa Louvois who held the rank while working as a prosecutor under the office of the Judge Advocate General.

In the modern US Navy, captain is a four-stripe officer rank. This insignia style was used in ENT all TNG era productions. During TOS and the movies, it had differing insignia. The TOS captains wore one full braid, a broken braid and another full braid. However, in the pilot "The Cage", Captain Pike wore only a single rank strip, so it was not clear how other officers were differentiated from captains. By "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Kirk was the only officer with two stripes, but that system didn't differentiate any other officer grades below captain except for no-stripe ensigns.

The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to captain. Typical assignments at this rank included executive officer of larger vessels such as the Galaxy- and Sovereign-class, space station commander (such as Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space 9 prior to his promotion to captain in 2371), and commanding officer of smaller vessels. The rank of commander was also available to chief medical officers and ship counselors who passed the Bridge Officer's Test. An officer who held the rank of commander was expected to be able to assume command of a starship should the situation call for it. Officers at this rank typically had 10-15 years of experience in Starfleet.

The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to commander. Officers with this rank typically held positions as senior department heads on larger vessels such as the Galaxy- and Sovereign-class ships, or serve as the executive officer of smaller or older vessels. On most starships, the second officer held this rank (such as Data of the USS Enterprise or Tuvok of the USS Voyager). In some rare cases, a lieutenant commander could also serve as the commanding officer of a smaller vessel, such as Jadzia Dax of the USS Defiant for a brief period in 2374.

The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to lieutenant commander. Officers at this rank typically had some command experience, and were occasionally appointed department heads on starships. Typically they were shift commanders in a department under a lieutenant commander; for example, a lieutenant commander would be chief of engineering and commander of A shift, and there would be a B and a C shift, each under a lieutenant. Additionally, some advanced Starfleet training programs, such as Advanced Tactical Training, commissioned their graduates at this rank. (TNG: "Preemptive Strike")

The United States armed forces have various programs for service members to begin their careers as officers in higher pay grades than second lieutenant or ensign, with commissioning in the rank of Lieutenant common for such United States Navy occupations as Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), Chaplains, Medical and Medical Service Corps, as well as the Navy Dental Corps. Whether Starfleet utilizes a similar policy for commissioning officers in the medical and science fields is unknown, although highly likely given Counselor Deanna Troi's rapid rise to lieutenant commander after her advanced studies on Betazed. This may also explain how Saavik of Vulcan was both a cadet and a lieutenant in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to lieutenant. Officers at this rank typically hold support positions on starships and starbases. At this rank, they had begun to prove their ability to perform acceptably in Starfleet, and typically began to take on more senior roles in command situations. Typical posts at this rank were conn officer, communications officer, or second officer of a shift (see lieutenant). It was also the rank bestowed on medical doctors and counselors (but not nurses) upon completion of their studies and training at Starfleet Medical Academy or elsewhere. This rank acknowledged the additional time required to become commissioned as reflected in Beverly Crusher's service record and Julian Bashir's age as a recent Academy graduate. (DS9: "Emissary") Assistant counselor Ezri Dax skipped her final months of training and was explicitly given "commission as a full counselor with the rank of lieutenant (junior grade)." (DS9: "Afterimage")

The most junior Starfleet line rank. It was the rank bestowed on newly-commissioned officers when they graduated from Starfleet Academy. Ensigns typically began their careers as the most junior officers in the department of their chosen specialty. Ensigns who had distinguished themselves in their academy class or on duty could be given posts as main-shift bridge officers (for example Ensign Harry Kim). A typical officer spent approximately three years at the rank of ensign. (TNG: "Datalore")

The crew of the USS Voyager, which included non-Starfleet Maquis members, was forced to make use of provisional rank appointments as a matter of course since the ship was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and the Maquis members were essential to shipboard operations. The provisional insignia system as of 2372 was as follows:

A rank of provisional commander also most probably existed, logically consisting of three solid gold lines within the lozenge, but was never seen on camera. In "Before and After", Chakotay is promoted to Captain and wears the standard Starfleet insignia of four pips. This seems to indicate that there is no provisional rank insignia for Captain. It should also be noted that Chakotay was a commissioned Starfleet Officer with a rank of Lt. Commander prior to his defecting to the Maquis, so gaining a Starfleet Captain's rank wouldn't be an issue.

Fleet captain was a title bestowed on senior Starfleet captains. It was a rare distinction, held by particularly distinguished captains. The title of fleet captain was held by former Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike in the year 2266. It was also held in the 2260s, by Captain Garth, one of Starfleet's most decorated captains and hero of the Battle of Axanar.

Although this title was not used in canon at any point after TOS, fleet captain was assigned a rank pin in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, as part of a movie-era set of ranks established for Star Trek II through Star Trek VI. The pin was the same as the captain's rank pin, but with two additional "flags" attached to the long edges of the pin. In addition, FASA's Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual carried the idea of a fleet captain insignia into the TNG era, using five solid pips to designate the rank.

Deputy Director was a positional title whose exact relationship to the regular Starfleet rank tier is somewhat unclear; although the position did warrant some command authority over a Captain. The insignia for Deputy Director was the four pips of a Captain centered above a gold bar. A side note: some rank lists show this as Fleet Captain which might be the actual rank a deputy director holds as both seem to be staff officers.

In Deep Space Nine we see a "Deputy Director Sloan" wearing this insigna, and is introduced as Deputy Director of Starfleet Intelligence.

Although it is likely that colonel is equivalent to a captain, Colonel West wore the uniform of a Starfleet vice admiral. His rank was in fact taken from the real-life Lt. Colonel Oliver North. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 22, no. 5) It was not revealed if there is a special branch of services in Starfleet that colonels would serve in.

The Doctor wore no rank insignia, and this was the only indication that he was a commissioned Starfleet officer. It is likely that the Doctor's unique situation allowed him (and perhaps other Emergency Medical Holograms) to have a Starfleet commission without a rank.

Starfleet ranks were designed by William Ware Theiss with the first versions adopted mainly from the insignia of the United States Navy. According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, Gene Roddenberry had not wanted Starfleet to appear "too military" which is why the stripe system was "toned down" by making a Lieutenant begin with one stripe (in the real United States Navy this insignia would be worn by an Ensign) and having ensigns wear no insignia.

The later pip designs of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek Enterprise would mirror the insignia system of the U.S. navy almost exactly. However, in the March 2003 issue of Star Trek: The Magazine, it was stated that there are no lieutenant commander and lieutenant jg ranks in Earth's Starfleet. As these ranks never appeared on Star Trek: Enterprise, there is no definitive evidence regarding their existence during the 22nd century.

Several insignia patterns were designed and created by the producers of Star Trek films and television series, although the full spectrum of ranks did not appear on camera. The first such pattern was the full array of flag officer insignia designed by William Ware Theiss to appear in Star Trek: The Original Series Dialog from the first season episode "Space Seed" established that Starfleet had admiral ranks as high as Fleet Admiral, but the highest on screen admiral ever seen was simply stated to be an admiral (and the insignia, according to costume notes was that of Vice Admiral).

Including the official insignia designed by Theiss, the full range of Admiral insignia from the Original Series is as follows:

Commodore

Rear Admiral

Vice Admiral

Admiral

Fleet Admiral

Script notes and costume design templates from Star Trek: The Motion Picture also provide insignia patterns for the first three Starfleet flag ranks. The senior ranks of Admiral and Fleet Admiral, although definite to exist, were not discussed in the film leaving the question open as to how the insignia for these two ranks may appear.

The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation showed admiral ranks ranging to Vice Admiral; however Admiral and Fleet Admiral were never seen on camera. Surviving script and costume notes indicate the following pattern for the first season admirals of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Rear Admiral(lower half)

Rear Admiral(upper half)

Vice Admiral

Admiral

Fleet Admiral

During the entire run of Star Trek: The Next Generation, two flag ranks which were never seen on camera were that of the one star admiral rank, using the "boxed pip" insignia, as well as a Starfleet Fleet Admiral. Costume notes, in particular those of Michael Okuda, provide the insignia for these two ranks. A similar matter also arose during Star Trek: Enterprise when the ranks of full admiral and fleet admiral were never seen (although they were discussed), leaving costume notes from the series as the only known source for how these insignia would appear.

In all, the following four insignia never appeared on camera and thus are not considered as canon material:

Admiral (Enterprise)

Fleet Admiral (Enterprise)

One Star Admiral (TNG)

Five Star Admiral (TNG)

A final array of insignia which the viewing audience never was able to see were the full spectrum of enlisted insignia patches designed for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In all, the costume designers for the show developed rank patches for every enlisted rank from Petty Officer 3rd Class to Master Chief Petty Officer. The budget of the show, however, prevented mass production of these insignia and, other than Miles O'Brien and Dorian Collins, no enlisted personnel appeared wearing the following collar patch enlisted ranks: